Discussions for an extension have already started to heat up for Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen has already thrown out that he would like to begin talks about extending his contract as well. But there just might be a player on the Boston Celtics who's contract is dwindling down that is more important to the Celtics' future that needs to have their contract extended just as badly. But little is being discussed about his contract situation.
Kendrick Perkins can be at times a forgotten man on this team of stars. He is unspectacular, reliable, young and a bit reclusive. When comments are sought after a game, very seldom is it Perkins that is the man reporters are looking to quote. He does his work, goes about his business, throws out his increasingly steady and very good numbers, does what he is there to do and occasionally does remarkable things that wins the team games.
Kendrick Perkins is short for a center at 6'10" and not exactly a tremendous athlete. He is still in some ways a very raw player, only this year, after 6 years in the league, showing signs of a solid low post game. He is also very young for a veteran entering his 7th year in the league being an 18 year old when drafted and still just 24 years old.
But our man Perk is a lot of other things as well. He's a worker and dedicated and smart. And....he's strong and has tremendous lower body strength, a great wide base, and a thick, powerful frame. He also has a long wingspan and is as tough and good a one on one, low post defender as you will find in the league. His help defense for the weak side has improved immensely since coach Tom Thibodeau has joined the team and I would venture to guess that having people like Kevin Garnett and Clifford Ray around to mentor him hasn't hurt either.
But the question posed is "What is Kendrick Perkins really worth to the Boston Celtics"?
Can a team win a championship without a solid man in the middle? Sure, it's been done. But history will show that a far larger number of teams win championships because they DO HAVE not only solid, but high quality man and the middle. The Celtics, and specifically Danny Ainge, have been grooming Perk to be that high quality man in the middle for over half a decade and maybe it's time to take stock in what they have created and determine what exactly Kendrick Perkins is worth to this team.
Performance wise, Kendrick has improved his numbers in virtually every single non shooting percentage category since he has entered the league. His games played, games started, minutes per game, rebounds per game, blocks per game, and points per game have increased almost every year he has been in the league except one. Last year, at the ripe old age of 24, Perk had 8.5 PPG, 8.2 RPB, 2.0 BPG, while shooting 58% and establishing himself as probably one of the 2 or 3 best low post defenders in the game.
He the went on to step up his game in the playoffs by putting up these numbers for a KG-less Celtics: 11.9 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 57% shooting while playing Dwight Howard to a virtual stand still holding Howard to well below his normal numbers or numbers anywhere close to what any other player in the league was holding him to in the playoffs. Simply put, he was amazing in last year's playoff run.
So....what's all that worth? Well let's take a look at what others are making:
Tyson Chandler - 26 years old - signed for $24.3 million for the next 2 years
Nene Hilario - 27 years old - signed for $33.4 million for the next 3 years
Andris Biedrins - 23 years old - signed for $45 million for the next 5 years
Chris Kaman - 27 years old - signed for $33.9 million for the next 3 years
Andrew Bynum - 21 years old - signed for $57.2 million for the next 4 years
Andrew Bogut - 24 years old - signed for $60 million for the next 5 years
Emeka Okafor - 26 years old - signed for $63 million for the next 5 years
Samuel Dalambert - 28 years old - signed for $24.9 million for the next 2 years
Mehmet Okur - 30 years old - signed for $29.9 million for the next 3 years
That, my friends, is a whole boat load of cash for a lot of players, of which, I'm not sure I would trade many of them for Perk straight up in a one on one, forget the salary cap numbers, deal. For you see, Perk isn't just as talented or more so than those players.
He's a perfect fit for what this team tries to accomplish on BOTH ends of the floor. This team needs to have the stalwart defensive big man presence in the middle that can push the opposition out of the paint, get the rebound, outlet pass like it's no one's business, and block shots. And on offense they need to have the low post scoring presence and offensive rebounding and ability to come high and set an effect pick without being soft or a player that prefers outside shooting. very few men in this league do what Perk does on both ends of the floor and simultaneously checks their ego at the door because they are fifth or sixth in the pecking order of team star power.
Perk, in my estimation is invaluable to this team's success and needs to be healthy for this team to win it all. The Celtics could win it this year without Perk but I can guarantee you something, they will not win it in 2011 and beyond without him. Perk might be more important to this team's future than Rajon Rondo. Great PGs can possibly win championships without a great center but great centers can always win a championship without a great PG.
Perk is 24 years old, one of the bet defensive centers in the league, has a growing offensive game and could over the next few years really come into his own as a center teams would want to build a champion with. Best to lock him up now and not worry about things. The numbers say Perk should be making in excess of $10-12 million a year come 2012. Maybe it's time to start addressing that now before he puts up a year or two that could turn him into a near max contract player.
Because if Perk continues his constant development the way he has, in two years, that just might be what a 26 year old, championship winning center, who averages a double double and is one of the two best defensive centers in the league is worth!
